


Hot Tub High School :  The Reunion

by EleanorKate



Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: Chloe Decker Needs A Hug, Fluff and Angst, Hot Tub High School, Hurt Chloe Decker, Sad Chloe Decker, Supportive Lucifer Morningstar (Lucifer TV), The Devil being the Devil
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-01
Updated: 2020-08-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:41:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22971922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EleanorKate/pseuds/EleanorKate
Summary: Chloe receives an invitation to something she hoped she would never revisit again.  COMPLETEWarning:  A few swears
Relationships: Chloe Decker & Lucifer Morningstar, Chloe Decker/Lucifer Morningstar
Comments: 51
Kudos: 321





	1. Chapter 1

The note was mostly printed but someone had clearly taken the time to handwrite her name and, oh, FUCKING HELL (oops), she did not need this!! Not now!

_"Dear Chloe_

_You are cordially invited to the Sweet Sixteen of THE teen film of the Noughties. Yes, that one! That one you are thinking about and she is coming of age!_

_HOT TUB HIGH SCHOOL : THE REUNION_

_25 September 2020, 6.00pm at the Four Seasons Hotel, 300 Doheny Drive, Los Angeles, CA_

_Relive those High School memories, those days in class, those days on the beach, the laughs, the tears and that classic HOT TUB!_

_Join Jessica, Amanda, Ashley, Melissa, Mark, Joshua, Justin and all your favorites!_

_See you there!"_

Ugh, _Jessica_. Chloe Jane Decker in another life. A life she had hoped everyone had forgotten about.

The second she read it, plucked from the post box and wondering how the studio knew where she lived now, Chloe knew the colour had drained from her face; heart racing with every single speck of anxiety she hoped she had left behind long ago. Everything was so lovely and settled now. Work, Trixie, Lucifer, Dan and even she and her Mom were on better terms than normal. Now this! Not now!

_Bloody Hell!_

Oh great. She was turning into her boyfriend; the said Lucifer Morningstar who was now holding the door of the Corvette open for her on this warm Los Angeles morning. He hadn't stayed last night but at 7.30am on the dot he had pulled up outside for her to drive them both to work. She was rooted to the spot. "Are you quite alright, Detective?" he asked in the end, realising she was not for moving. "Some bad news?"

Chloe's shoulders sagged and she took a few paces towards him before pushed the invitation against his chest, barely raising her eyes to his concerned gaze. "You could say that" she responded flatly before she slid into the passenger seat before slumping down, arms crossed and contemplated an absolutely awesome start to her Friday.

Lucifer blinked, closed the door and turned over the card, reading it carefully; realising what had clearly caused her shift in mood.

"Oh..."


	2. Chapter 2

He had been floating about by the drinks machine watching her for the last ten minutes scowling between a bundle of paperwork on her desk and her screen that was glaring in the late afternoon; actually no, early Los Angeles evening.

These last few months since he had returned from Hell permanently had been somewhat, well, spectacular but today, from the moment she sat in his car, Lucifer knew already why the Detective had been so tense. That invitation. Yes, okay, Hot Tub High School had been a rather naughty favourite of his long before he met her and it had rather thrilled him that he had finally met the vision on the screen and realised who she was. The fact she shared his bed, the fact that Jessica Foster shared his bed, still gave him a little buzz, even though he knew it shouldn't. He was a grown devil after all, not some spotty hormone ridden teenage boy. 

He knew he had teased her about it; she knew she was his wanking material but, now, he knew that movie affected her more than he had at first realised. Perhaps as he had grown to be accustomed to a 'proper' relationship with her, he might understand more if she explained, even though her renewed feelings seemed clear. Maybe he shouldn't have teased her or perhaps she had been hiding her feelings towards that movie better than he thought with half smiles, rolled eyes and diversions of subject. Maybe the Lucifer-before had just been oblivious to what he said and what could hurt other people.

Instead of coffee, Lucifer bought her an ice cold bottle of lemon flavoured water. She must have felt or heard him as Chloe looked up, smiling as she saw him wandering across armed with the water. “Thank you” she smiled, opening up the drawer of her desk and fishing out a rapidly depleting box of painkillers and Lucifer stood behind her resting his palms on her shoulders pushing his thumbs into the tense muscles; the invitation he knew she had left in the Corvette; discarded in the footwell.

“My head is banging”, she offered, taking the pills and most of the water at the same time. He knew; he could tell just from the way she was squinting hunched over at the screen.

“It’s nearly half past six and its Friday night” Lucifer offered quietly. “Isn’t it time I drove you home? Or come back to Lux with me?” She shook her head. She wasn't in the mood for sitting in a silent house with Trix at her Dad's or having to dress up, dance, up until all hours or do anything really, except perhaps a large glass of wine, bath and bed or maybe finally get her head around this damn case. She knew he would not be up for the latter and a shared bath and bed was something she was certainly not in the mood for right now. 

“I have so much to do” Chloe protested trying to focus on the warmth of his palms through her cream shirt. That was the extent of the affection she would let him show at work but nobody seemed to notice or care to comment any more. Everyone knew and nobody bothered, except perhaps her. “There is just so much of this case that doesn’t make sense”.

“And it will make less sense if you force it, Detective, you know that”, Lucifer warned pushing his fingertips into her shoulders now and he heard a quiet sigh, knowing that was a sign he was getting through to her. “Come now, we can go and get some decent takeaway, you can telephone your offspring and we can spend what is the rest of the evening watching some awful television, no drinking, no dancing, just quiet”. He paused, willing to give up an evening in Lux for the conversation they needed. In for a penny....“And you can finally tell me why you were so upset by that invitation". He felt her, once again, tense immediately and he waited for the explosion. He had tried to test the waters over lunch, watching her pick her way through pasta once he had managed to drag her out of the station, but she had rather efficiently shut him down. Maybe a different approach was required now.

"Its a reunion, Luce" she started, eyes still flicking over the screen and the papers in front of her. "To part of my life you know full well I don't want to see again". He released her shoulders and pulled a spare chair over to her, to sit by her side. 

"Detective...Chloe..." Lucifer began, determined to wheedle this out of her. "You know I have a penchant for that movie and I know I've said a few things to you in jest, but you've never really told me anything about when you were acting. I..."

"No Luce" she interrupted, going back to her keyboard and closing her computer down. "It's the past. Closed book. Over with".

"Really?" he enquired, eyebrows raised. "Because your reaction to the invitation tells me otherwise". He had tried being subtle at lunchtime but now it was Devil-in-a-china-shop time in an attempt to get an answer from her. He knew it would probably cause an argument; her storming away from him or just shutting him down completely but he was never one who left well alone. "You tell me its closed, Detective, but if it was closed, I rather think you wouldn't be being so..."

"What?!" she snapped at him, looking at him with one of her far too familiar death stares but he let it ride over him. Worse foes and all of that...

"Uptight about it", Lucifer responded, keeping his voice down. "Like it still continues to upset you because it obviously does. Detective, you know you can't pretend with me any more".

Chloe pressed her lips together, feeling him take her hand under the desk. He knew she always did that when she was trying to control the flurry of words that were due to come out of her mouth and she was angry, certainly angry. At him for pushing her and for herself for acting like this still when she knew that Hot Tub High School should no longer be of her concern. It was 16 years ago for G...for someone's sake! "Its. Closed. Over. Done with, Lucifer. Leave it". She looked at him again watching for any of her nosy colleagues but nobody was looking. "Don't push me about it Lucifer!" she concluded, enunciating every word as she bit her way through the sentence before she shoved her chair back, clattering into him before she leant down and picked up her bag and coat. Lucifer wheeled out of the way as quickly as his reactions would allow, even though he was almost sent flying by the force of her anger and he closed his eyes in despair. Just as he thought. Maybe he ought to just put the invitation in the shredder at Lux and let them forget about it but something still nagged at him, so he knew he wouldn't. He heard her stride across the precinct floor in a blaze of fury before he finally straightened up. 

"Detective!" he called out as he stood, a couple of faces looking up and back down again when they realised there was nothing to see. "Do you still want a lift home?"

Chloe stopped at the bottom of the steps and her head dropped. "Yes please. To Lux", she replied meekly, her voice calm again and waiting for him to half run across to her; almost like her anger from their sort-of argument had immediately dissipated. She didn't want to be alone, not really.. "Thank you, Luce" she said quietly, once he arrived at her side.

"Pleasure Detective", he responded walking up the stairs; a hand in the base of her spine. 

He was not going to let it go though. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning for a couple of swears and brief (mistaken) mention of rape.

He had left the invitation propped up on his desk; the place that sometimes the Detective worked when her guilt at relaxing got the better of her. It was left next to the top of the range laptop he had deliberately put there for her too that unbeknownst to her she had adopted as her own. He really needed to speak to her about this ‘reunion’ sooner rather than later as it was praying on his mind. The Devil knew all about regretful decisions and being swallowed up by the past so she almost didn't have to tell him but somehow also did. She needed it, whatever it was, out of her system whether they went to the reunion – because he was certainly going with her if she did – or not.

Still though, pizza eaten and half way down a bottle of Malbec between them, Chloe had started to feel the incessant tightness in her shoulders start to release as the evening crept into night; slumped on the couch and in good company. The fact that his lips were just lingering over the sensitive skin just underneath her ear was probably contributing to the warmth in her middle too. For some reason not presently known to her, he was being painfully slow in his seduction of her tonight, until a thought struck. Maybe he was angry with her for her reaction in the station or even worse, if he was hurt by her and was going through the motions of what was expected of him; of where every single date had ended up since they got together. In his bed. She had to ask otherwise she would never be able to concentrate. “Luce? Stop a second...”

He withdrew immediately feeling her palm rest on his chest. “I am so sorry, Detective. Forgive me. I have acted inappropriately”, he responded, looking suitably and unnecessarily contrite. Lucifer separated himself from her and took up the remote for the large television on the wall in an effort to find something else to do.

“No, Luce” she giggled, taking the object from him and quickly realising that he thought she wanted him to stop that delicious touch of his lips on her skin. “I didn’t mean don’t keep doing what you were doing but I just wanted to ask you something first”.

“Oh”, he smiled, feeling better and settling back against the couch waiting for her to begin. She looked apprehensive. 

“Are you upset with me still?” Chloe began, hands clasped onto her lap. "About what we were talking about before. Well you were talking..."

Lucifer knew what she was referring to. “No darling. Not upset. Just...” He frowned. “Just curious”. He looked at her hesitantly and could see she was tense again. “Chloe, darling. Whatever it is, whatever it is, tell me. It’s clearly not good, whatever it is that’s connected to that bloody film”. He was started to regret all those times he had pressed pause and repeat, pause and repeat with one hand on the remote and the other on his cock. The feelings of that person on the scene meant little past his entertainment but if it caused her this amount of pain... Why did he not realise? Yes, he was an insensitive git before she touched his life and the Devil's honour forced him to make it up to her. Then she had simply been a rather beautiful Californian blonde with an ass you could bounce nickels off. Now, Lucifer Morningstar knew better.

She looked down and breathed in and out carefully. “I should tell you”, she began. “I mean, we’re together and you should know about me; should know why I get so...” Chloe waved a hand in the air. “Can we sit outside, on the balcony?” She needed to breath some fresh air instead of the sudden stifling atmosphere of the penthouse.

Out on the balcony, Lucifer laid back on one of the cream leather loungers, briefly staring up at the evening sky; stars dotted from every angle as she took up the one to his left. He noticed she had brought out a throw from the couch and it was wrapped around her shoulders like a security blanket. "Tell me what you want and how you want” he offered after a second or two, watching as she too looked up at the darkening sky. Chloe closed her eyes, mustering up the words she was not sure that she could find but needed to. She had to tell him the truth but some of those memories were still rather too raw, even almost seventeen years since she quit Hollywood for the LAPD.

Chloe briefly chewed her bottom lip and raised her eyes to the sky again. He noticed that she stayed that way. “That...that film” she began, needing to get this off her chest. “I only did it because Mom wanted me to. It was the first thing I did as a lead and I thought it was going to give me the break I wanted and so did she. Most of the stuff I’d done before I’d been the sister or the school-friend or the kid with pigtails in the family round the breakfast table”. Lucifer nodded carefully, letting her carry on, resisting making any jokes. “I did commercials, bit parts, pageants but none of it was ever good enough for her. No matter how much make up they slapped on me or however much school I missed, I was just always a step behind where she wanted me to be. Even when I was physically with her Mom was never there when I actually needed her, do you know what I mean? If I hurt myself it was Dad that patched me up; it was him I went to if I needed anything”.

She saw his hand appear in her peripheral vision and took it up; intertwined fingers dangling between the two loungers. “It was always filming or conventions or I’d be tutored on set with her so I... well I never really had friends, proper friends like Trix has. Kids I did mix with only came to my birthday parties because we had a huge pool and Mom threw money at it like it was, well, water” she continued with a deep sigh. “I made some money and, don't get me wrong, it came in handy because I had my own apartment when I was 18 and it paid me through police training and the deposit on a house when Dan and I got married. People noticed me, just as Mom wanted”.

“And rightly so” he smiled but she looked and caught his eye. It swiped any kind of mirth from his face instantly. 

“It’s not funny Luce” Chloe responded. “It was cheap, nasty and once it came out, I regretted it immediately”. Once the attention ramped up a little and suddenly the name 'Chloe Decker' started to appear on billboards at the end of the street; comments from men old enough to know better filled her ears in Wallmart on those days she was brave enough to venture out once it had hit the cinemas; tabloids following her instead of her Mom this time. She was seen as nothing more than a piece of pretty meat and it all made her want to walk away. Then Dad... 

“Well what about all of these people; this Ashley, Amanda, all of those?” he asked. Surely she may have made some friends with the people she worked with?

Chloe made a huffing noise and crossed one ankle over the other. “I can’t say we were friends. The press made up stories about me and Jase; the guy who was playing Mark but I was dating Cal the one who played Justin. I mean it lasted as long as the filming did and we lost touch for a few weeks because he went to Mexico and I ended up filming a pilot. It was a lead in a TV series, but well we met up again at the premier”. She sighed. “We sort of got together again and he went with me to Dad’s funeral. I punched the pap, went to the wake, got blind drunk. I spent that night at Mom’s but went back to the apartment; got blind drunk again and slept with him; no protection no nothing. It was stupid of me” Chloe added, still feeling ashamed of it even now but her mind was in such turmoil after the funeral that she simply need someone to hold her and Callum Golding was that person it seemed or so she thought at the time. 

“You were drunk” Lucifer stated sharply. "Very drunk and more than vulnerable, might I suggest?" he asked. 

“Yes. I...” she responded before he interrupted her. 

“Did you consent?” he asked carefully, taking a tighter hold of her hand. Even though he was well and truly one for fulfilling people's desires, their consent was paramount and he needed her to answer the question to silence the flames that were starting to fester in his belly and that immense, almost overwhelming want to protect her as much as the Devil was able.

“I...” she started, thinking carefully through her words. “I think so. I mean I wasn’t not willing”. She turned fully to him for the first time, watching the deep frown on his forehead. “He didn’t rape me if that’s what you’re getting at”. She could tell immediately that that was the conclusion he had formed and knew if it had happened that way, Callum Golding would not know what had hit him. Actually, no, he would know. He would have the Devil on his tail and the sweaty little oik - because Lucifer knew which one he was from his endless watching of the said film - would regret ever touching her.

“But you were drunk...Impaired, Detective...” he continued to press.

“But I was not raped" she responded firmly but she could still see the Devil in his eyes. "I spent the next day running around for Plan B on the other side of town wondering if anyone recognised me. Imagine that in the tabloids” she exclaimed, voice sounding even more tired than normal. “Then Cal, well he just left after that. He stuck around for a week and went off back to Mexico. No phone calls, no text messages. He could have been dead for all I know”. 

“Well he is a fool”, Lucifer responded, desperately wanting to cheer her up. He saw her look up at the sky again. “Its not that bad a movie Detective!” 

“That’s what Dan sad” she replied before pausing. “Everything about that movie was just wrong, Lucifer!” she exclaimed. “Then Dad was...was murdered and it made it even more pointless than ever. If he hadn’t been handing out tickets for that film, he would never have been shot”.

Ah, so that was it; there was her reason. “It was a set up Detective”, Lucifer replied, gently reminding her of what they had found out all that time ago. "Your Dad was targeted".

“I know” Chloe responded, “but...Oh, I don’t know. If he had been at home or in the station, or with me, I might have seen him just once more instead of me being at the cinema that night avoiding popcorn because my manager wouldn’t let me eat in case I put on half an ounce of weight! I might have seen him...helped him even!” He saw her press her lips together, clearly trying to stop age old tears that were about to flow. She could never stop them when that guilt clawed at her again.

“Chloe come here” he offered, releasing her hand and tapping the lounger beside him. Those tears...No, he could not take those tears.

She got up and lay down beside him snuggled into his side, his arm around her shoulders immediately feeling the unnatural warmth she had become accustomed to. “I’d just like to see him again. Hug him again” she said, swiping her palm across her face. "Let him know I love him"

“I wish I could help you” Lucifer offered. If he was on better terms with his Dad...

“Every time I think about that film, I think about him. He thought that was it; that film would send me stratospheric, but all I associate with that film is him dying. He was so proud of me; he didn’t even care I took my top off and the world saw his teenage daughter's boobs. He was just proud of me but when he went it all seemed so pointless, fake. I wanted to carry on what Dad did. I'd have some purpose then you see". She heard a rumble of agreement from his chest. "You know the rest, but it still comes back to haunt me. Dan had seen the film, so has half of the station and I spend fuck knows how long trying to make everyone see I was more than a red bikini in a hot tub”. The photographers would be there again; there would be all this publicity...

“I am guilty of objectifying you” , Lucifer offered. He had never perhaps realised the kind of guilt that humans could carry around with them until he met her, or maybe he had just taken notice. "And I apologise for that." In truth he had not watched that film in a long time. He had the real thing now.

“I know you are” she replied, deadly seriously. "But your apology is well and truly accepted". He didn't have to but Chloe took his words in the grace within which they were intended. 

“Detective, can I ask you a question?” He felt her nod against his shirt. “Have you ever actually seen that film, you know, since?" He had wondered for a while if she had perhaps misremembered or her guilt over the years had eaten away so hard at her that it skewed her memories.

“At the premier, yes”, she replied, blinking quickly at the memory of that red carpet and that blue dress she wore - well that she was persuaded to wear - that showed far too much leg and told the world whether she'd recently waxed or not. “Since then? No”.

“Well, maybe you should”, Lucifer mused, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head.

“Immersion therapy?” she answered with a laugh. It was the one therapy she had not tried. Maybe he had a point.

“In a way” he responded. “Darling, you know I spend so much time railing against my bloody Father but at least he’s still there even though I don’t agree with his methods or his ways. You losing your Dad in such a way meant you being put in my path. Part of me will be thankful until the end of time for that but you also know how I feel about you being manipulated...the situation being manipulated”. He was still not entirely comfortable and she knew it. 

“Amenedial kind of...well he said he met my Dad” Chloe offered, realising she had never told him of that conversation. Amongst it all it had brought her some temporary peace.

“That nice of him” Lucifer replied genuinely, tightening his arm around her shoulder. “Still one day you will see him again". He shifted, pulling her even closer tighter against him, her left leg hooking over his knee. 

“Not without you” she stated firmly, leaning up and catching his jaw in a kiss. ”I accept my dad is dead. I got past that long ago but you are here and present, real and now and I can't lose you. I cannot take any more loss. I really can't". She was crying again. She heard him whisper 'nor me' as she looked up, staring deep into those chocolate brown eyes that she so loved and being unafraid to be like this in front of him. All these years Chloe had tried to keep it, even around her Mom and Dan, even more so around the child who had never met her grandfather. 

“So this Callum creature will be at the reunion?” Lucifer asked. His mind was already ticking over his response to this 'man' if he ever had the pleasure to meet him. Despite what she said, the Devil's old instincts were still there and it was as plain as day that Callum Golding required punishment.

“Yes, but he’s not the reason I don’t want to go” Chloe replied. “I’ve moved past that prick long ago. I can’t say I’d enjoy seeing him again but no, its not him...” she finished with a shrug.

“I think you should, we should go, but I will respect your decision” he offered watching her spin one of the buttons on his shirt between her fingers. “I could have immense fun Detective as you well you and you could just sit back and watch. You know me after all but if it’s too hard, we don’t". Fun, punishment, whichever...

“You could have fun?” she asked slyly, narrowing her eyes, sliding a fingertip into the gap in his shirt between buttons and rubbing the definition of muscle she found. Chloe felt his abdomen twitch.

“Immense amounts of fun, darling”, he offered, more than willing to put the fear of Hell into this Cal person; and the rest for that. “Devilish fun...Imagine it. Me, reigns off for the evening, imagine it, Detective, go on imagine it...you know you want to...” His fingertips wandered over her temple, mirroring that featherlight touch almost encouraging her. “People who you will never see again. Think about it...”

Chloe laughed, propping her chin up on his chest. “I have a devil on both shoulders it seems”, she offered. 

He smiled running a palm over her ribs. “Actually, my darling, this devil would rather be between your legs”.

She snorted and leant up to kiss him, just pressing her lips quickly to his as she pushed a hair's breath closer. She would jump on him in a second; right here, on his balcony. Two devils and both of them were whispering in her ear. “Okay, we’ll go. I need to and you can, well you can have your fun...”.

Chloe saw him smile that smile that she had seen already a handful of times, well more, that told her immediately that dear old Callum was fucked and, right now, she could not bring herself to care.


	4. Chapter 4

He had left her be for most of today and Chloe was silently pleased that she had been given the space.

As each day crept perilously closer to the reunion, Chloe’s nerves had grown even more frayed and Lucifer seemed to have felt it. He had stepped away from suggestions about what to wear, how she should have her hair as he might normally do as something inside him told him that would tip her over the edge. He could not, however, resist the diamond bracelet that was now burning his breast pocket as he stood at the door of her house.

He raised his knuckles to the door when it opened and he almost fell in. “Urchin!” he exclaimed, as her bright eyed spawn looked up at him. 

“Hi Lucifer” Trixie smiled widely, stepping out of his way. “Mom’s upstairs. Still”. The last word was said with typical childish frustration at being made to wait for anything and it made him smile to himself.

“Thank you, spawn” he replied, spotting a figure move in the kitchen and another body come into view. “Daniel...” Lucifer offered with his usual joy at seeing her ex-husband; no lessened by the fact that the other Detective clearly knew that it would be Lucifer joining her tonight and her journey into the past.

“Lucifer” Dan nodded. “Trix, go and see if your Mom is ready”, he stated, wanting to have a quiet conversation with the other man. Trixie shot off immediately to her Mom who was getting ready upstairs and the two men approached each other.

“How is she?” Lucifer asked once he was sure the child was out of the way.

“Quiet” Dan replied sadly. “Too quiet, but she hasn’t mentioned not going yet” he offered. Dan, of course, knew some but not all about her thoughts and feelings towards that film and that grief for her Dad that in the almost decade of their marriage, would cause her to retreat so far inside herself that at times Dan wondered if he could ever retrieve her. He saw Lucifer nod at his words. “Look man” the other Detective continued. “Can I ask you something?” No matter what they thought of each other individually, they were on the same page when it came to Chloe. “Just look after her”, he started, glancing quickly to his side to make sure they were still alone. “There’s a ton of shit to do that with film and her Dad that I know she’s never told me. Just look after her”.

“She has the Devil on her side Daniel” Lucifer replied sternly. “She will be well cared for”.

Dan resisted making a comment about the man’s obvious delusion; something still nagging that Chloe could get herself into a relationship with someone who was so obviously dangerous. He might have pushed more but for the appearance of his daughter down the stairs. “Trix? Is your Mom ready?”

“She’s crying” Trix offered, a little wobble to her chin. Dan’s eyes dropped to the floor as the child walked to him, arms around his waist. 

“I’ll attend to your mother Beatrice”, offered. “Your father will take sufficient care of you”. He tapped the child gently on the shoulder and started up the stairs.

As she stood in front of the mirror Chloe shut her eyes. She should not have let a single tear fall in front of Trix but it was the child's words about 'grandad being proud' were what set her off. Trixie did not know how her grandfather died, both Chloe and Dan feeling it too much, but she did now that her Mom had not been much older then her when he went.

Chloe was wearing the same suit from that night she became ‘Lucinda’ but this time the deep ‘v’ that showed off too much skin was replaced with a light, black lace and silk top. A suit and trousers seemed safer than a dress. “You look delicious, Detective” Lucifer offered as he stepped through the door, seeing her swallow heavily at the tears that had now only ever so slightly lessened.

“Is Trix okay?” she asked immediately, almost ignoring the compliment. 

“She is fine” Lucifer answered, placing his palms on her shoulders as he came to stand behind her. She could see him through the mirror. “She is with her father so therefore she will be fine”.

Chloe smiled. She was pleased that Lucifer and Dan seemed to be at least tolerating each other better for the moment. “Are you ready to leave?” he asked, pressing a kiss to the back of her head, breathing in coconut and Chanel; wondering if he should just let the tears dry up. He felt her shoulders rise and fall with a deep breath, wishing he could take away the pain he saw in her eyes; for that bloody film, for her Dad, for the interference there had been in her life to get them here. Chloe simply nodded.

After saying an apologetic goodbye to her daughter and a heartfelt thanks to her ex-husband for taking looking after their child, she noticed that all of a sudden Lucifer look shifty. “What?” she asked, as they walked through the front door. “What have you done?”

“You said I could have fun Detective” he purred in her ear as he stood behind her, raising a finger to ensure she looked down the path. 

“Yes...” Chloe replied suspiciously. Then she saw it. A mulberry coloured Cadillac Escalade ESV stood under the street lamp. “Lucifer!” Her head snapped around at him as they still stood on the porch.

"Now, now. I ordered it weeks ago Detective” he replied. “It has taken this long to get it to my specification. It just happens that tonight is its inaugural flight”.

She was not sure whether to believe him but then again the Devil never lied did he? Chloe felt his hand land on the base of her spine. “Chop chop” he breathed in her ear as she was almost projected down the path. There he opened the passenger door for her and Chloe slid in. She was never really one for material things but this car was...woah. It was clearly a custom make. “Like what you see?” Lucifer asked teasing her.

“Is this...” she started, looking at him and seeing his eyes imploring her to go on. “Is this really part of the ‘fun’ you said you were going to have?” She knew she was pushing but it was important. 

“In a way but not really” Lucifer offered, firing the engine into life. “You can arrive in this instead of an Uber, I get to test out my new toy and well, yes, why not tell those ridiculous individuals you made that film with exactly where Chloe Decker has landed”.

“In her boyfriend’s car” she added bluntly, running a finger over the shining oak centre console.

“So?” he replied, still not having moved the car from the kerb as he still needed to hand over the bracelet. “There are a thousand reasons why I wish to be with you Detective for as long as you will have me. It’s nothing to do with my money...”

“They will just think I’m punching...” she offered.

“You are...” Lucifer teased but her smile did not reach her eyes. “Look, Chloe, why not enjoy a few material things for a while. I am not judging you and surely that is the only thing you should be worrying about? Not those washed up bunch of cretins you did that film with. Has any one of them won Emmys? No. Has anyone of them won an Oscar? No. You gave up acting for a pure and good reason. Did they?” In truth, Chloe did not know. In reality, the Devil did as he had done his research and knew all he needed to know about Ashley, Amanda and all of those has-beens. Some of the things he had found out...well, it even made the Devil's eyebrows rise.

“You’ve gone sensible” she smiled. “But yes, you’re right. I shouldn’t care what they think”.

“So” Lucifer responded. “Let’s have that fun. What’s wrong in them knowing you’ve got your paws on the richest man in LA? This Detective, this car, is pocket change to me, you know that”. Chloe scrunched up her face as he pulled the black velvet box from his jacket. “And this is just a small offering for you to wear”.

“Lucifer...” she pleaded, still with that nagging inside her chest that she was not worthy; how much of a waste this extravagance was. He, however, just wanted to please her, make her happy and lay to rest the demons that still lingered. His life had been materialism but he was learning and there was still no harm.

“No”, he said firmly taking the diamond tennis bracelet as he lifted her wrist to him. “No, I will not hear a word of it. I am treating you...”

“I can never make this up to you Lucifer” she frowned. Guilt. Always guilt.

“You don’t have to” he responded setting the clasp against her skin but her face told a different story. “Okay” he sighed. “If you want to make it up to me, buy me a tub of those gummies from any nasty convenience store we can find open on the way back”.

Chloe laughed. “The Devil has an addiction to gelatine and artificial colours”.

“Do you mind?” he responded, pulling her hand up to his so he could kiss her knuckles to make sure she knew he was teasing. “You know I am emotionally stunted Detective and can behave like an overgrown child - hence the gummies - but I love you and that’s all I want back off you too”.

She smiled and nearly burst into tears again. “Okay” Chloe responded, mentally sorting through the black clutch bag that she had brought with her to ensure she had cash on her. She did. “Blue sharks or neon worms?”

“Sharks, Detective” he responded, pleased she had said no more about the car or the bracelet. “Always the sharks”.

She nodded and retrieved her hand, for the first time looked at what was a 5ct white diamond bracelet around her wrist, twisting it in the bare light of the evening and tonight, she would pick her battles. There was a bigger one to come after all. “Can I keep this in the safe at Lux?” she asked. He was about to respond to say that if it went walkabout for any reason he could just buy her another, but stopped himself. "I don't want Trix to get her hands on it".

“Of course” he smiled instead as he drew the car away from the kerb. 

Chloe was quiet for the short journey and the little jokes and even the compliments from him only fell on a half smile and brief nod of the head. He could see she was becoming even more tense as they approached the hotel and the small gang of paparazzi photographers that had gathered by the entrance. Chloe let out a long calming breath at the sight. “No fisticuffs Detective” he offered and she let out a brief laugh. 

“I didn’t think there would be this much fuss” she replied as someone stepped out of a vehicle a few in front of them and the flashes went off. “That’s Caroline”. Or Amanda Thompson in a certain life before. Chloe watched her step out, joined by a man she did not recognise, and into the melee as Lucifer crept the car closer to the valet again as the other vehicles moved. 

“She’s the one that was pushed face first into the pink blancmange” he offered. He knew that film backwards to his newly found shame. “Am I right?”

Chloe laughed genuinely. “Yeah, she couldn’t get that stuff out of her hair for days”. That’s how stupid and childish that film was but at least Caroline wasn’t the one who had to fake throwing up sponge cake for hours on end...Any amusement she felt at the memory, evaporated quickly when she saw the door of the car in front open and Cal Golding stepped out.

“Oh, hello”, Lucifer purred; Chloe sure she heard his voice drop an octave. “There’s my prey for evening”. Chloe wanted to tell him to be quiet and leave him alone, but the way the Devil pursed his lips in concentration made her stop in her tracks. _Fun_. Fun, Detective. Let the Devil amuse himself. She knew she could stop him when it came to the crunch and watched him as he stalked from the driver’s seat, almost seeing his mind work. She swallowed and this time it was not out of apprehension. Why one treacherous part of her brain now decided to be intrigued, no fuck that, decided to be aroused right now she would never know. Chloe breathed and shifted in her seat. Oh yeah she did. It was the danger he offered. How the Hell did Chloe Decker get like this? Oh...right...that.

“Are you quite alright Detective?” Lucifer asked. He had been watching her for a second and was half torn between just turning the car around and going home or ripping Callum Golding’s throat out right there. 

“Yeah”, Chloe replied, unable to reply any more as they were suddenly there in front of the flashlights and the passenger door opened. A thousand shouts immediately assaulted her, even though Lucifer had somehow passed the keys to the valet and was around her side of the car, arm around her waist, before she could even blink.

_“Hey, Jessie...lets see your rack...”_

_“Chloe! Chloe Decker!”_

_“Over here! Over this way!”_

_“Come on girl, show us the flesh!”_

None of them were being shouted now, but it was like the premiere all again, even down to the matching yellow carpet instead of red. This time however, she could hear his name too, interspersed with hers, and taking a glance at Lucifer he had painted on his ‘Hollywood Smile’ and slipped his hand from waist to her hip. It briefly occurred to her that this was a paparazzi’s wet dream. The element of fame she still had that clung around her neck like a boulder and that in combination with LA’s biggest playboy by her side made for a gossip magazine photo from heaven.

Literally.


	5. Chapter 5

Having escaped the line of photographers, the pair, still with Lucifer’s arm around her waist they joined a short queue for their name tags and ‘introductory drinks’. Her cast mates that Chloe had seen seemed to have disappeared without spotting her and she was quietly satisfied by the fact.

“So this is it then?” Lucifer asked as she turned into his embrace so he was holding her around the waist still as others milled around them. He had refused to penetrate the collar of the Armani suit he was wearing with the pin of the name badge and hers, for other reasons, she had slipped into her clutch. They were both looking through double doors to their side, a congregation gathering inside and Chloe saw a few faces she recognised from the crew and wider cast. She simply nodded at his question. “So", he continued, shall we enter the lion’s den darling or should we make a fashionably late entrance?”

“Let’s get in there now and find somewhere to hide?” she asked, her voice wavering as she feels his palm slide down on her to hip.

“Now, now Detective” Lucifer replied. “The Devil’s Consort does not hide in corners”.

“Yes, I know” she breathed heavily. “One thing first though...” she continued, looking up at him with an expression of resignation at the fact.

That look on her face, in other circumstances, would have resulted in him whisking her away home, but tonight there as a purpose behind his persuasion. “Do tell...” Lucifer responded as he was highly intrigued.

“Get your hand off my ass”, she whispered with just a touch of venom, and embarrassment, in her voice. Enough so he knew she was being serious. He simply shook his head, raising an eyebrow and Chloe nodded carefully. “Fun?” she whispered. _His definition of it though._

“Well hopefully, but yes” he replied, leaning down close to her ear. “You see, those photographers knew who I was. Most of these cretins here have probably been in Lux at some point in their meagre existence so they know me; know my reputation, know about my wealth. Call it making a statement that you are mine and I am yours”. He smiled in that false charming way at two people who passed them. 

She was about to reply, raising an objection about material things, when Chloe heard a broad New York accent from behind her partner. “Well, well, Chloe Decker...”

“Fu...” she breathed into his chest. Lucifer made a short noise of recognition at her choice of swallowed expletive and turned his head to find a figure waving at her. “Bobby Mines. He was the Director”, she continued still breathing it into to his body, her head turned in the opposite direction, almost as though she was trying to hide as what little confidence she had disappeared as each second passed. 

Lucifer watched the portly, grey suited and grey haired man, stride up towards them with a wide grin on his reddened face, making a beeline for Jessica Foster herself. Chloe straightened up and gently pushing Lucifer to her side she found the fake smile she had managed to cultivate years ago. “Bobby! Hi!” she continued. “How are you?” Lucifer was quietly impressed at how genuine it sounded. 

“Oh, you know” the Director replied, pulling her out of Lucifer’s arms and into an uncomfortable hug. “Tammy and I are living out in Argentina now, so just a quick trip back to the old hunting ground...see a few of the old faces, you know...” 

Chloe smiled as he released her and gestured at the man who resumed his place with his hand on her ass. “This is Luce” Chloe responded with a real smile this time as she introduced him. 

“Bobby” the man replied, stretching out a hand to the Devil. “Pleasure to meet you”.

“You too” Lucifer smiled, wondering for a second why she had not mentioned his full name but for the moment he let it go. 

“So how are you?” Bobby asked; knowing she had quit acting long ago and the reasons why. “Any family?”

“Yes,” Chloe replied, taking a sip of champagne. “I have a daughter. She’s nearly 13”.

“And as attractive as her mother no doubt at that age”, he commented as Lucifer almost felt Chloe’s skin crawl off her body. Maybe that was something he needed to take up with her afterwards. 

“So you have known Chloe for some time then?” Lucifer asked, deep, crisp British tones laid on a touch thicker, cutting into the conversation quite deliberately. This man had been somewhat elusive on his research. He had met enough people like Bobby Mines in Hell already, and punished them in the most imaginative way possible and more besides. He hoped Chloe had no experience of that, but yes he would need to enquire.

“I directed your first commercial didn’t I? You were what? 6, 7 years old? Younger?” Bobby smiled at the memory. "She was sweet kid, even though her Mom was...How do I put this? Overbearing?" Chloe simply nodded. She was barely 4 when she did that commercial for paddling pools, but the man was right after all, and in truth, she had seen worse than Bobby Mines in her career. "And then years later she popped up as our Jessie! The fights I had over some scenes in that movie...! You must recall them!” He saw Lucifer frown and smile tightly but before he could speak, as a little more than curiousity was biting at the devil now, he was interrupted with a loud exclamation of the Director's name out from the other side of the lobby. All three turned and Bobby made his excuses and a missive that he and Chloe must, must, must catch up further later. Lucifer turned to her with a raise eyebrow, wondering about her half introduction of him and other subjects that were perhaps addressed in private. Fights? "So why did you only call me Luce?" he asked. "You have intruiged me again".

“He’s an evangelist” Chloe replied under her breath. “Real G...Your Dad-botherer. I thought it might amuse you that he shook the hand of the Devil and didn't know about it”. She looked up at him; a picture of pure innocence underneath lashes laden with black mascara. Yeah, she could still act.

“Detective!” Lucifer whispered in her ear in that slightly appalled way when he found something that amused him. “I do believe you have found your inner Lucinda again. I am impressed”. Chloe simply shrugged her shoulders and took another sip of champagne, fortifying herself. Carefully she took his hand, and breathing in she led him into the main room, casting another glance around at anyone she might wish to avoid. At least with Bobby Mines it had been over before it started and she had her own minor mental victory. Instead she heard a little noise of recognition from Lucifer as he seemed to focus on a figure up by a lectern. 

“Who’s that?” she asked, leaning in close.

“One Lux’s financiers” Lucifer replied, sounding slightly perturbed. He knew he was involved in the film industry somewhere but he was the last person Lucifer expected to see tonight.

“I didn’t know Lux needed finance”, Chloe offered peeking over people’s heads to the blonde haired man who was laughing and joking with a couple of women.

“It doesn’t. Strictly speaking” Lucifer responded, lowering his voice. “But a devil has to get a credit rating somehow. Besides my money isn’t for the consumption of your corrupt government” he added, entirely unconcerned what he had confessed. I mean, what would she do about it anyway? Drop the Devil into the IRS?

“Oh”, Chloe responded. There she had it. What she thought all along that Lucifer Morningstar dodged paying his taxes. Mind you, the Devil could probably get away with it and Chloe filed it away to the drawer marked 'Things I Didn't Hear'. He was resisting moving though, even she could see his eyes flashing to the other man.

“Luce...I’ll be fine. Go and talk to him if you need to” she offered. “Go on” Chloe continued, giving the rock solid object that was her lover, a gentle shove. With that, and a kiss on the cheek, he was off.

Chloe watched for second as he walked, gently chewing on her lip; partly because she was somewhat, in reality, at a loss about where to go next and watching him as he walked. Chloe swallowed nervously and dismissed her overactive brain telling her to run after him and drag him to the nearest and quietest place. Preferably home. Carefully looking over the room she saw the figure of a man that she would recognise from here to kingdom come; just like he was spotted outside. Callum Golding. Cal. He looked shorter than she remembered and, as he turned his head to one side, he was almost more grey than the thick black locks she used to run her fingers through. She clearly had a thing for men with dark hair and Chloe grimaced internally. 

Something, however, took it upon her feet to walk up to him. It was probably best that she was on her own right now. Even though she had said it was okay; all the stupid stuff she used to do as a teenager with too much money and a fragile heart was flooding back to her but she still kept walking; walking towards her former dalliance. “Cal?” Her voice did come out as broken as she felt it might. He turned to her. 

“Hi” he replied eventually and awkwardly as he realised it was Chloe standing in front of him. “You’re...you're not blonde anymore!” he spluttered, going bright red at making such a statement. Chloe smiled. “Sorry!” he exclaimed. “That was just...” He left it with a flail of the arms.

“No, I left peroxide blonde behind a long time ago”, Chloe responded. Yes those ice blue eyes that she had fallen for were still there and the dumbass awkward comments.

“I erm. ..I didn’t expect you to be here” Cal replied. He hadn’t. Genuinely. He had no idea where his former co-star was until tonight. All he knew was that sometime after the premiere, she just quit. Some time after he walked away from her.

“Me neither” Chloe muttered, shifting from foot to foot and putting her clutch bag in front of her as some form of unconscious defence mechanism. “No, I...well my partner suggested I did. To exorcise some old memories”.

“Hmmm” Cal replied, nodding far too carefully for her liking. Then it struck him. “You’re not married?”

“No” Chloe responded, the metaphorical gap widening between them in this stilted conversation. “Divorced”

He made a noise of recognition. “Me too. Last year. Kids?”

“Yeah”, she responded. She didn't really want to get into a conversation about her daughter with this man,. “You?”

“Three. Eight, five and one”, Cal replied, "except the little one she ain’t mine. Hence the divorce” he shrugged.

“Oh”, Chloe replied feeling a little sorry for him. She knew what going through a divorce did to a person and for a second she felt sorry for him.

By the time what little conversation they were having had fizzled out to nothing Lucifer had spotted her across the room and was by her side, sliding his palm across her back. “Hello darling” he began, laying on the accent rather heavily again. “I wondered where you had wandered off to”.

Chloe cleared her throat. “Luce, this is Callum. Cal, this is Lucifer Morningstar. My partner”. Chloe’s ex boyfriend regarded her current one in his $2000 suite, perfectly trimmed hair, manicured stubble and recognised the supposed billionaire club owner's name immediately. Chloe looked so tiny compared to him as the Devil towered over them, both in height and in this unexplainable presence he had. Well unexplainable to everyone bar himself and the woman by his side.

Callum blinked as Lucifer stretched out a hand; determined he would be polite for Chloe. Seconds later the other man caught up and took up the proffered hand. “Good...good to meet you” Callum spluttered. He knew who Lucifer Morningstar was as well,knew Lux and what was Chloe doing with him?!

“So...”Lucifer started, tightening his grip on Chloe's waist."Do you have something to say?” Cal clearly had trouble processing the question under the hard stare of the taller man and he frowned. “I said” Lucifer enunciated, like he was talking to a child. “Do you have something to say to Chloe?” He felt her almost shrink back closer to him. “Come on you abject failure, you know you have something to say to her that has been long outstanding..."

Cal looked at Chloe for help but the Devil on her shoulder was having none of it and the one by her side certainly wasn't. Lucifer let out a long, dramatically frustrated breath of exasperation. “Darling?” he offered towards Chloe. “Care to remind Mr Golding of his error whilst we are here?”

Chloe breathed in. “Don’t you remember what happened after Dad’s funeral?” she asked, determined to face this. Despite what she had said to Lucifer before, now she was facing him, that little flicker of anger and hurt had decided to become a fireball. He looked confused and something inside Chloe snapped. She remembered how humiliated he made her feel so, well, maybe it was time for some payback. “You,” she started her voice low, menacing and with a layer of sarcasm on the side. “You slept with me an then, oh, yeah, went back to Mexico. No texts, no calls, not nothing”. She paused. "You could have been dead for all I knew or was I just convenient? Was that it?"

“Yeah..er no” Callum replied trying to sound casual as he watched Chloe’s hand rest on Lucifer’s abdomen. In reality he had little explanation for his actions.

“So go on then”, Lucifer continued, looking down his nose and exuding more confidence than ever. He could hear the other man's heart beating. “Seems to me you weren’t man enough to be there for her when she really needed you or, did you take advantage of her?”

“Chloe, what are you doing with this jerk?” Callum started, frowning at her and ignoring the Devil. It was probably the worst thing he could do.

“Sorry Cal” she smiled. “Luce, honey” she started deliberately laying on the saccharine sweet tone on her lips. She had never called him 'honey' before and would never do again. “I must visit the bathroom. Perhaps you would care to keep Cal company?”

"As you wish” Lucifer replied, itching to get his teeth into his prey. Chloe stood up straight, winding her right hand into his hair and kissed him full on the lips before she walked away before she shot to the back of the room, pushing though a heavy wooden door, following the signs to the bathroom. She had not looked back at the pair of them, wondering whether she should feel guilt for just leaving Callum to the mercies of the Devil. She didn’t. Maybe she should, but one thing that she had learnt from the deity himself that she should not try to solve the world’s problems and to relax a little. Callum Golding was past and gone and he hurt her, hurt her at one of the most frightening parts of her life. Maybe he did deserve the Devil on his heels.

“So”, Lucifer started, taking a sip of the champagne he still had in his hands. “Tell me, what was the real reason you ran off to Mexico? You cannot tell me you were in your right mind when you left her? When she was more than vulnerable? Are you really that weak?”

"I am not sure that it is any of your business" Cal responded. That relationship, that fling to be more precise, was dead and buried long ago and he had been onto better things, or so he thought. Lucifer however made a sound of deep surprise that anyone who knew him would have seen it as a warning.

"Oh it is my business", he replied gravely. "You see, that woman there is worth a million of you and I adore the very ground she walks on. So go on, tell me, why did you leave her? Too scared to stand up and support her?"

Cal swallowed but, looking into the man's eyes, he felt the most overpowering sense of need to tell the truth. He spluttered again, earning a rise of the eyebrows from the Devil himself. "Alright!" he exclaimed under his breath. "I...I...I couldn't deal, okay?! She was too complicated; too fucked in the head after it all... I mean, I felt so bad with her Dad dying...But yeah, I ran off; found someone else and never...never explained it to her".

Lucifer smiled. "Oh you mean Jenny...the wife who decided to shag her ex and breed with him instead of you? Aurelia is the little one's name isn't it?" In a flash Lucifer saw red in the other man's eyes, the shorter man wondering how on earth this man knew about the reasons for his divorce. "I wouldn't if I were you..." he warned, tapping the other man on the arm in a 'friendly' manner should anyone else be watching. "I would suggest you tell Chloe, confess to Chloe what was running through your tiny little mind so she finally knows. It's simple when you think about it". 

"And if I won't?"

Lucifer smiled wryly. "Oh, trust me, you will". A handful of seconds later, Chloe was back with him, and Lucifer felt the ire that had been burning inside him dip a little as her hand went to smooth down his back. "Hello beautiful", Lucifer smiled. "We have had what you might term 'a quiet word' and I think someone has an apology to make, don't you Callum?" 

"Oh?" Chloe responded, feigning innocence at what she clearly knew had transpired these past few minutes and, nope, still no guilt at leaving him in the hands of a devil in disguise. "Go on...?" 

She regarded him. Nope, no guilt at all. Makes a change.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Firstly, apologies for the length of time to update. This chapter just did not want to be written and I was slightly afraid of sending Chloe OOC.

“Right” he breathed in her ear. “Who’s next?” The Devil was ready to be let off the leash again and he did not object one bit to being at her beck and call tonight.

Chloe shoved the smile that was threatening on her lips back down again. They were standing watching the busy room, the solidity of the Devil against her back and she was on what may have been her fourth (fifth? sixth?) glass of vodka and cranberry; having ditched the Champagne long ago. With her around even Lucifer was feeling a slight buzz but he was driving them home so when that fuzziness got a little too much he was on the sparkling water. He really didn't fancy being pulled over even with his charms, particularly as they had a date with a 7-11 after this. Chloe licked her lips; her vision setting on two figures over the other side of the room. “Over there” she said, nodding past him. “By the buffet”.

Lucifer looked over and saw two women; one peroxide blonde, the other a sort of brown. “Ah” he replied, knowingly. “The one who fell face first downstairs in those stupid bright green platforms if I recall and the one that got a tattoo in the form of Mickey Mouse on her arse. Am I right or am I right?"

Chloe stared at him. “How many times have you seen that film?” How did he remember such minor detail? Oh, of course, he’s the devil and judging by what he had said before he had probably contributed to those little royalty cheques she used to get on more than a frequent basis. 

He leant down closer to her again. “Several times, darling. I think I wore out the rewind button on certain rather tempting aspects of it”. Chloe could feel herself going pink but she could blame that on the vodka even though he was looking straight down her top. “So”, he continued straightening up again. “What does Lucinda desire now?”

Chloe thought for second until another unpleasant memory decided to impose itself on her. “Come onto them” she commanded, buoyed by the alcohol in her system. “Make them think they have chance with Lucifer Morningstar...”

“De-tective...” he breathed into her ear again; his voice smooth and tempting with an underlying splash of amusement at her decision. She was appealing to his literal devilish side. “I never knew you had it in you. Pray tell, why that particular torture?” He was intruiged.

“Well“ she started, taking a sip of her drink. “Melinda, the one on the left, I knew her from school, long before the film ever happened. She was a bitch even when we were children. She stole my first boyfriend off me.” Chloe paused for a second. “Well when I say boyfriend we were only eleven or twelve at best. We went to the beach twice and he held my hand...then she decided she wanted him instead” she finished with a shrug. 

Lucifer made a humming sound. “I think I might need to have a quiet word with her plastic surgeon too. That scarring from her lower face lift is appalling”. Chloe laughed into her drink. “What about the other one?”

“Lisa was okay actually”, Chloe mused. “I mean she was never my best friend but she was okay. We got on for the most part”, she continued. "I can't say we were the kind of friends that would go out of their way to help each other though". It was kind of tolerating each other if she was honest; for the success of a quiet set. 

“Consider it done my sweet” he replied. “Shall we?” Chloe felt his hand go to the base of her spine to move her along. She was however not moving and Lucifer immediately knew why. "You want to watch don't you my little voyeur? Don't you?" He saw her nod before a sly smile moved across Lucifer’s face. He would take commands off her any day of the week. “You know if do this, I want more than just those blue gummy sharks on the way home”. Chloe felt her heart thump at the mention of ‘home’. She shouldn’t be thinking of things like that with the Devil but she let it go. 

The one thing she didn’t tell him though was the last time she saw Melinda she was very, very pregnant with Trixie –in fact it was ten days before she was born – running into each other by accident in the Mall. The comments wondering why she saddled herself with a kid, why she let her body be destroyed by a little parasite, how Dan would never touch her again. Chloe had driven home in tears with the little one shifting restlessly inside her. She never told Dan either and in truth she wanted to keep her distance because if she started crying...Well she would either run or Lucifer would tear this place down and she didn't really know which one she wanted to avoid. 

Chloe took another sip of her drink and watched him slither across the room.

That smile that was threatening to break out on Lucifer’s face again as he struck his way through the crowds homing in on his target, was too shoved away. A little bit of vengeance for his darling Detective was not too much trouble at all; that was half the reason for his insistence they came here tonight. After all the Devil dealt in punishment, didn’t he and these once semi-famous but now non-entities would never touch her life again if he could help it. 

The two women had clearly noticed the dapper Lucifer Morningstar moving towards them as the crowd parted; one nudging the other with her elbow at the sight. They knew him; everybody knew the owner of Lux and _everybody_ thought they were in with a chance. Trouble was, not many knew - in fact no-one in here knew -he was well and truly taken.

He arrived at their side; glass in hand and wearing a flirtatious grin. Immediately, Lucifer felt their attentions on him, standing just little too close, their pair watching him under their eyelashes. "Melinda and Lisa I believe?" he offered, holding out a hand which in the pair avidly took up; skin lingering on skin just a touch too much as well but that was entirely Lucifer letting them think he might just be interested in their little selves. 

"We saw you speaking to Chloe” Lisa offered, glancing over to where the woman in question was standing, quietly sipping on her drink and trying not to look at her boyfriend or what he was up to.

“Oh, yes of course”, Lucifer replied, snatching a glance back at his love and keeping his face free of a smile. “Call me a fan of hers if you will”. He saw the two women nod and a very indiscreet raise of an eyebrow from this Melinda creature. Lucifer slapped down the spark inside him. "But tell me", he began. "I understand you were in the film too. Any Oscars on the horizon for you both?" He knew he was taking the piss; but these two half wits clearly didn't as they giggled at him. He knew enough the bit parts they had in various afternoon soaps, usually playing dead bodies if he remembered rightly. They didn't answer. 

"So", Lisa started, creeping far too close to him for comfort. "You can't tell me you came here just to meet _Chloe Decker_?"

The derision in her voice caused him to bite the inside of his cheek. “No, no” Lucifer replied with a shake of the head; a shake to throw away what he really wanted to say but it would bust his plan. “I know people connected to the film and a few financiers too”, he offered. It wasn't really a lie.

Mel’s eyes lit up at the mention of money. “Financiers you say?” she asked as he nodded. "Do you know I was looking for someone to fund a project of mine, but I've not had much luck". She licked her lips. He didn't need his mojo tonight it seemed with this one and Lucifer actually felt himself take a step back when her palm landed on his chest. "You know I'd be rather partial to having a discussion with you about that. What do you think?"

Lucifer smiled. "Do you know I would like that very much" he responded, voice slick with millenia of practice. "So please, do tell me..." 

On the other side of the room, Chloe was resisting strolling over and snatching back her man. The two women - who she did not trust - looked far too interested her in Devil and she could tell he was ramping it up if the looks on their faces were anything to go by. Her mind started working overtime, ten to the dozen, when that tiny part stood up and reminded her that she had asked for this. Asked for him to flirt with them in some petty attempt at revenge. Shut up, girl. Shut up, now! Let go! She was sobering up too and it wasn’t nice. Soon enough though, she watched him carefully as he moved away back through the crowd, Chloe thinking he was heading back towards her but instead he veered off and out of the huge double doors without even a glance towards her.

She frowned; confused and a touch upset. Now her mind was thinking up all kinds of scenarios, maybe something had been said about her to him, or a story came up or...she rattled on internally until maybe a minute later, Chloe felt her cell phone buzz in her small handbag she was holding. Thinking it might be Trix, she fished it out. Instead of her daughter she found a text from the very Devil that had just walked past her. Instead of a string of unintelligible emojis that would take her ages to work out what he was saying she found a simple message:

_“Meet me by the stone gazebo in the gardens in five minutes. I love you.”_


	7. Chapter 7

“Meet me by the stone gazebo, he said” muttered Chloe as she stepped out of the back of the building. “Would help if you told me which one...!” She carefully regarded the gardens before her and the three gazebos placed strategically but she could not see him. The odd person milled around, smiling at her like they knew her but she was missing the Devil. 

Chloe pulled out her cell again contemplating sending him a message when out of the corner of her eye she saw him casually appear from the back of one of the stone structures; the biggest and most ornate one. She should have known really, Chloe thought as she walked across the gardens and down the path, needing to ask what he was up to but before she could do anything he had hold of her wrist and had pinned her to the inside wall. Chloe was fairly sure he was performing a tonsillectomy with his tongue but definitely sure she could not breathe. Lucifer felt a delicate push in the middle of his chest. “Lucifer what’s going on?”

“Just keep kissing me” he breathed against her lips, nose brushing against nose. “I’ll explain...” Chloe nodded quickly, deciding to trust him, and leant up, indulging herself. It may have been a minute or two before his hand felt it’s way to her ass, squeezing and she was about to pull away again when she heard a little gasp from her right. Lucifer slowed the kiss and ever so gently withdrew from her to address the source of the noise.

“Ah Melanie” he began, smiling widely at her and very, very deliberately getting her name wrong. 

“Melinda...!” she replied annoyed, flashing a glance at Chloe; her lips swollen from the kiss, probably wearing beard burn and certainly looking as dazed as she felt. 

“Sorry darling” Lucifer responded oozing charm from every pore. “Melinda...”

“I don’t...?” the woman started, glancing between the two again and the flash of panic and confusion could not be missed by anyone. 

“Oh”, Lucifer replied, as innocently as the devil could muster up. “You know Chloe of course. I was just telling her about our prospective venture”. He could see the woman go white. 

“Yeah, yeah” Melinda replied, still perplexed at what she was seeing before her. Uptight little Chloe Decker letting Lucifer Morningstar - a mere fan as he described himself - practically swallow her whole. “We know - knew - each other. I thought you wanted to talk to me about an investment or...not...this...” She waved her hand towards the pair, clearly thinking she was onto something here. 

“Oh I am sorry” Lucifer carried on. “Forgive me. I must explain”. His arm went around Chloe’s neck as she kept her face as neutral as possible, pulled into his embrace so she was almost enveloped, squashed close to him. “You see any financial decisions are ours. After all if we make a decision to invest in your project, it will affect our household income and I am sure with Chloe’s experience of the industry, she may wish to become involved in some of the day to day decision making. I am just the owner of a club after all” he smiled. “Isn’t that right, angel?”

In truth, he hadn’t planned it this way, but the woman’s mention of financiers and investments gave him a rather more ‘devilish’ idea than on the one he originally thought of and she had clearly fallen for it. 

Chloe cleared her throat, picking up on his ruse. “Yes” she smiled. “I mean we do have to think of anything that might affect our family, don't we honey?”. She was actually smoothing her hand over his belly now in an affectionate gesture. 

“I erm...” Melinda stuttered. “It’s...You said you were interested...in...when you said you wanted to meet me out here, I thought...” She saw Lucifer raise his eyebrow, cuddling Chloe closer. “I thought it might have...”

“What?” Lucifer responded. “You thought you were in for a moment with me? Sorry, I only have moments for one woman now and she is standing in front of you and no, for clarity, I don’t wish to invest in your vanity project, thank you very much”. He was blunter than blunt could be.

Melinda glanced at Chloe again, pressed so close to Lucifer Morningstar of all people. With a huff, she sped off back into the building.

“I’m sorry my love” Lucifer whispered pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “I didn’t plan that”.

Chloe wiggled slightly so she could look up at him. “Its fine” she smiled. “I mean I’ve got permanently what she wanted for a quick fumble. Revenge is quite nice, isn’t it?” For a change she didn’t feel a scrap of guilt. Lucifer laughed and they were about to walk away, arms around each other when Chloe spotted Bobby Mines almost racing towards them across the path. “What now?” she muttered underneath her breath. Whatever it was it looked urgent the way the red faced man was flailing his arms about.

“Ah! Chloe!” he exclaimed as he came to a halt in front of them. “I really thought we had lost you there for a second. I’ve been looking all over the damn place for you!”

“Oh?” she replied. Whatever it was she was dreading it already.

“Yes!” he responded gleefully. “It’s time for the re-run and we can’t do it without our Jessica!”

“You’re showing the film?” Lucifer interjected, tightening his grip on Chloe’s shoulder. He could see she was biting her lip. 

“Of course!” Bobby replied as Lucifer felt Chloe almost try to sink herself into his body. “We can’t celebrate the reunion without our star can we?”

“Give me five minutes” Chloe muttered. She must have said it with enough venom that the smile slipped off Bobby’s face. He nodded and left as Lucifer stood between her and the door to the hotel.

“If you don’t want to we can leave” he started, rubbing her arms. “I can make up some excuse that Lux needs me”.

Chloe shook her head. “No” she responded firmly. “You told me I needed immersion therapy and you’re right. I think”. She had to get over this film and everything associated with it - it was over half her life ago. She was a divorced, almost 40 year old mother one of one teenager, not a teenager herself any more. Why didn't she even contemplate that they might show it, or even just clips?

Lucifer nodded and kissed her briefly. “I promise I won’t get a boner in public”. It was an attempt at making her smile and it succeeded for a moment. “The second it’s done though, we go home”, he said firmly. “I really don’t want to spend the rest of the evening watching you discussing it all and getting upset”. She took his hand and without another word, the pair strode into the building to her fate.

Thankfully, they were seated bang at the front so Chloe could really only be seen by Bobby on one side and Lucifer on the other. Even as the summery, bouncy music track pumped out of the speakers Lucifer could feel her nails digging into the palm of his hand. As each scene moved to the next, he knew full well what was coming and out of the corner of his eye, he watched her more than the film. She was sitting transfixed and barely blinking as the glare from the enormous screen bore down on them all. She didn’t laugh at the funny bits, so he didn’t. She didn’t sniffle at the sad bits either; but he would never cry at a movie, come on! She didn’t flicker when she saw herself throw up all that cake and he didn’t flinch either. To be frank she looked catatonic and he doubted the ‘immersion therapy’ was quite such an idea after all. No it was a very _bad_ idea.

It was only when _that_ scene was soon around the corner that she reacted. Eyes closed. She had no lines in that scene, only raising herself, dripping from the hot tub wearing nothing but a pair of red string bikini bottoms. She knew how many seconds that scene lasted, which music rung out on that short walk from the tub and past the ‘love interest’ who she could not bear as she swung her hips as seductively as a nineteen year old could manage. That was not even half way through and she needed out. He could feel it leaching from her.

Praying for every second of the film to run faster and faster (for a change) Lucifer extracted her hand from his, little marks from her nails marring his palm. She glanced at him and was about to curse him out as he slipped out of his seat and, ducking so he was not blocking the screen, pushed his way out of the doors.

Barely ten seconds later the fire alarm rang out and all of a sudden the lights went up in the room and a buzz of conversation and shouts overtook her as the screen suddenly went black. Looking where Lucifer had gone she saw him again through the glass in the door, beckoning to her with his index finger. Whilst everyone went one way, she shot over and through the doors. Before she could say anything he had question. “Can you run in those things?” he asked gesturing at her feet, well, her heels.

“No chance” Chloe replied, ripping them off as she was dragged (there was no other word for it) down the corridor, crashing through doors, almost bowling over staff and as she was pulled along Chloe could not breathe with laughing. Finally, after Lucifer barged open what was clearly a staff door, they were in the car park at the side of the imposing building.

“Did you...?” she asked, wanting to laugh again as they rushed towards the car.

“Oops” Lucifer offered putting his hand to his mouth as he kept pulling her along. “I might have just accidentally knocked the glass on the fire alarm, yes...” Chloe could see people starting to rush about to evacuate as he received the car keys from the valet.

Chloe smiled as they finally stopped. “Thank you. I appreciate that...” 

“Come on then”, he smiled opening up the car door for her. “We are getting out of here. You owe me some sharks from the nastiest convenience store we can find!”

She watched as he backed the car out of an impossibly tight space and with a screech of the tyres, they were out of the hotel before anyone could miss them. 

Chloe doubted they would anyway. 


	8. Chapter 8

Chloe hesitated to get out of the car as it swung to a stop at the side of the road. She cast her eyes over the flashing neon signs outside the store as it advertised cell phone unblocking and cheap beer. It was not where she intended to end up tonight really.

“Lucifer” she started hesitating as she put her hand on the car door. “I know you said nastiest, but this is beyond grim. Last time I was down this part of town it was a shooting”. She remembered that vividly; it was the 'material' that had to be peeled off an alley wall from the force of the shot that imprinted itself on her. Even Ella was grossed out. 

“It’s okay darling” he replied grabbing her other hand over the centre console. “I know the owner...” He slid out of the driver’s door before she could look again at the glaring neon lights chasing each other. 

“You would” Chloe muttered, out of the car before he made his way around to her side. Lucifer smiled at her and slid his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his warmth and safety and has he pushed opened the door, a bell jangled over their heads. They were the only customers in it would seem and Chloe cast her eyes around the overfilled cramped shelves and, still under his arm, she stepped over a box of freshly delivered toothpaste before she fell over it. A second later a balding, squat man appeared from underneath the counter, peering through the bullet proof shield over the till. Bullet proof shields. Awesome. 

“Mr Morningstar...and a beautiful companion I see” he noted, smiling widely at the pair his arms out welcome them. Lucifer smiled at him and pushed Chloe forward. 

“May I introduce Chloe?” Lucifer asked, still smiling widely and oh, yeah, how he loved introducing her to people these days. "Darling this is Julio".

“You certainly may!” the man replied as he shot around the counter stretching out a hand towards Chloe which she leant across and took with a smile that was still bordering on anxious even though the handshake was firm, warm and welcoming. “Now my dears", Julio carried on; his Spanish accent heavy. "You have the run of the shop. Whatever you want you take. I expect no money from either of you”. 

“Now, now” Lucifer replied, shaking his head. “You have repaid your debt to me long ago. We will pay for whatever my love desires”.

Julio nodded realising it was a fight he was not going to win. He retreated back around the counter watching the pair on the closed circuit TV as they wandered around the ailes. Of course Mr Morningstar had been here before, but this one was the first one he had actually made the effort to introduce and quietly the shopowner smiled when he saw the gentle touches, the hand on the base of a spine, the smiles and the small mountain of provisions that was being piled onto Mr Morningstar's open arms.

Lucifer had ended up following her around the aisles, arms outstretched, watching her pick goods off the shelves and out of boxes too. “You never let your daughter buy these...” Lucifer offered as he inspected the haul that he was balancing carefully. Even Lucifer acknowledged that Little Miss Sensible Chloe Jane Decker didn't pick up a basket or one of the small carts.

“I know" Chloe replied turning back to him, "I don’t but ...All of this stuff...my agent, and Mom used to tell me off if I wanted candy or cookies. Even I when was tiny” she offered picking up a blue bag from the bottom shelves. “3 year olds don’t understand why they can’t have the nice tasting bright coloured things..."

“Three?” Lucifer was appalled. No wonder she always recoiled at his comments about his preference for her being naked. He knew her mother could be a bit of a madam at times, but telling a _baby_ she could not have sweets because she'd get fat? Even a few? No wonder Chloe had a complex. 

“Mom said when saw that hot tub scene all she could think about was that little roll of fat over the top of my bikini bottoms” Chloe offered now, standing up on tip toes to take a red packet from the top shelf. How ironic the bag of jellybeans was the same colour as that infamous bikini.

“That was skin” Lucifer whispered to her as they wandered around the aisles again, him still following her around like a puppy. “I studied in carefully. It was skin. Still is skin I might add”.

“I starved myself for days before that scene” she added with a sigh; almost as an afterthought. In the pile she passed him were flaming hot cheetos, cheezi-its, oreos, peanut butter cups, cinnamon jelly beans and of course, his sharks. They seemed to be done when she wandered back to the till. Finally she added a tub of bright pink candy floss to the heap. “It’s for Trix. She likes it”, she shrugged.

“I am not objecting darling. I will purchase whatever your offspring wants. You don’t have to justify it to me”. Lucifer separated out the goods into two piles. Well one pile and the bright blue coloured sharks pushed off to one side. They paid without objection from the shop owner on one of Lucifer's relatively low key credit cards and with the stash on her knee, Chloe sat in the passenger side as he drew them away from the kerb and clearly away from her beach house, and Lux for that matter, and so as they wound their way up into the Hills, Chloe knew he was trying to prolong their night together. Her offspring would be in bed by now and Daniel was on the couch. Lucifer would share her bed but she had warned him long ago that if he has much as even touched her with her ex-husband downstairs he would find out vulnerable he actually was to her.

He pulled the car over again as he found the top of the hill and suggested they sit in the back. The cynical look she gave him was enough. Instead Lucifer laughed. “As much as I would like to christen this car in the most spectacular fashion possible, I don’t desire to have bodily fluids on the brand new leather”. Chloe nodded and smiled, putting all of the snacks down but snagging the clear tub of blue gummy sharks. She had a promise to keep after all.

The black leather seats, four of them, were facing each other in the vast passenger area of the ESV as she slid in first and he sat opposite her, flipping on dim light in the roof that gave the space a cosy glow. After a second Chloe sat back and undid the button on her jacket, finally relaxing and letting out a long breath. Opposite he did the same and stretched out his legs, briefly closing his eyes to relax as she stifled a yawn. “I do love you, you know” Chloe offered quietly, toying with the lid on the tub of candy she was carrying around like a precious child. “Thank you for tonight”.

His eyes were still shut but Lucifer was smiling. “You don’t need to tell me twice” he replied slowly, his voice calm and relaxed. “Now, take off your jacket, sit on my lap and feed me those sharks, woman”. Chloe laughed but the look on his face to told her he was serious so she shed her jacket and slipped across the small space sliding onto him, knees either side of his hips. Ever so gently Lucifer opened his eyes as he reclined the seat by a few degrees, settling and smiling at her. Chloe just tutted and reached to her side, unscrewing the tub of sharks where she had placed it on a spare seat so she could accommodate herself on his lap. Carefully she dangled one over his open mouth, holding it just out of reach. “What?” he asked realising she was not moving.

“I just want to say thank you again...I know I’ve said it before. Three times now...” she rambled.

“My zip is just there if you really want to do that...” he suggested with a raised eyebrow, trying to move to snatch the candy with his teeth but her other hand on his chest was stopping him from moving.

“Shut up” Chloe responded, still dangling the shark until she sat back with a sigh. “I mean it. You did make me feel better and, well, you’re just about the only person that actually listened to me about that thing”.

“Well” he replied. “I don’t judge. Never did”. Ever so gently he pulled the lace vest top she was wearing out of the waistband of her trousers whilst she was distracted. He couldn't have the shark, so he was going to have a damn good look at its captor.

“Luce don’t....” she protested moving his hands away. “We’re in public”.

“Blacked out windows” Lucifer responded. “Very, very, blacked out windows”.

“Oh” Chloe replied, not bothering to take the intrigue out of her voice as she fed him candy at last, watching as his jaw moved to chew it. She was still hesitant even though he was holding onto her hips and thumbs grazing over the bare skin he had managed to expose. Carefully she squinted out of the window but would admit she could not see. 

“Besides I only want to look” he offered as Chloe sighed as she fed him a second toxic looking shark. “Can I promise you something?” he asked, running the pad of a finger down to the ‘v’ edge between her breasts. Chloe nodded, not sure what was to come next as he gently and contemplatively tapped the swell of her skin with his index finger. “You are the most beautiful creature I have ever laid eyes on...but I am never going to watch that film again”

“Never?” she asked with a little laugh but he was being serious. “Oh...” Chloe carried on realising. “You mean it", she continued, seeming him nodding earnestly. She dare not ask how many copies he had; she almost didn't want to know but she would take his reassurance regardless, quietly pleased by his declaration. It had nagged at her that he seemed to take so much, well, pleasure from her former self on screen; the object on screen. "Okay..." she concluded finally, the pair of them smiling at each other for stupidly long until Chloe shivered from the chill of sitting there half dressed. He must have noticed as Lucifer, forgetting the candy, lent forward and blew warm air over her skin before rubbing her arms.

"Want to go home?" he asked, suddenly feeling a little melancholy himself and more than a bit tired. He had had alternative plans but in real terms, all he wanted to do was crawl into bed with her and stay there. Chloe nodded before she slipped off him and onto the other seat before the pair exited and back into the driver and passenger seats respectively. Even though they sat in relative silence through the late night Los Angeles traffic it was a comfortable peace between them.

Maybe one day she could shake off the ghost of 'Hot Tub High School', but even with his shenanagins tonight with the fire alarm and the tiny acts of revenge, it was still bugging her. Sure it was amusing to see them get their comeuppance, course it was, but no...She had to get over this; leave it all behind and he had tried to help her so much. No, it had to come from inside.

One day it would, she hoped. Maybe one day she would sit through that film; find the catharsis she needed but it seemed a long way away yet. Chloe watched Los Angeles float by as he drove down Santa Monica Boulevard at an extraordinarily slow speed (for him). Maybe she would ask him to keep a copy of one of those DVDs...put it away, leave it somewhere and one day she might...

THE END


End file.
